Hot Springs Cove ( 49Â°21â€²N, 126Â°16â€²W ) is a provincial park with a 2km-long boardwalk leading to a natural hotspring. The boardwalk is longest, best-maintained, most-scenic one that I’ve seen in BC. It leads through temperate rain forest and hundreds of planks have boat names carved in it.

The hotsprings trickle by large bolders forming irregular-shaped pools that are difficult to walk in. There were dozens of people filling the pools to capacity when we were there. Float planes and tour boats bring tourists to the springs during the day, but you can have the springs to yourself if you come at dawn or after dark. There is an outhouse near the spring but there is no other infrastructure, which is a bit odd: at the end of 2 kilometers of boardwalk there isn’t anywhere to sit, or hide from rain.

Our stay there was an absolute joy.

The cove itself has a short dock that is crowed with tour boats. The chart shows mooring buoys but there aren’t any. There were several boats anchored in the cove. The cove is very well sheltered from the prevaling westerly wind, and the entrance is well marked, wide, and deep.